Cutting machine



Marh2o,192s. l 1,662,890

A. W. MUELLER CUTTING MACHINE Filed May 19. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March20, 1928.

1,662,890 A. W. MUELLER CUTTINGV MACHI NE Filed May-19. 1925 3sheets-sheer s Patented Mar., zo, l1928.

f UNITED STATESv BTH/UR W. MUELLEB, 0F CINCINNATI, CHIC.

CUTTING MACHINE.

Application led Hay 19, 1925. Serial No. 31,384.

My improved deviceis especially adapted for cutting cheese and similarsubstances.

The cheese to be cut is usually in the form of so-called bricks ofcheese whichin practice weigh five pounds each, and are usually eleveninches long and three and .seven-sixteenths inches square, some of thecheese being in ractice three and one-fourth inches in thic ness andthree and three-quarter l0 inches in width, while still other bricks-'ofcheese or so-'called flat cheeses are usually two and one-half inchesthick by tive inches wide and ten inches long. These dimensions aregiven as exemplifications and for a cleiiier understanding of parts ofthe invention.

The machine 1s intended for use in retail stores for selling sections orslices cut from the bricks of cheese or for cutting slices of cheese for-use in sandwiches, such last-named slices to be of so-called sandwichthickness.

Cheese of this kind is usually covered with tin foil and is usuallycomparatively soft and sticky, although in instances it is hard andbrittle, and diiculty has been experienced heretofore in the successfulcutting of the cheese. Y

It is the object of my invention to provide novel tneans whereby tosuccessfully cut the cheese, and further to successfully cut through thecovering of tin foil -or other covering about the cheese in such mannerl that the tin foil or other covering may be sliced with th cheese andform a covering for the edge'o the slice. A

It is the object of my invention further to provide gaging means forgaging the sizes of the sections or slices cut from the various sizes ofbricks of cheese.

It is .the object of my invention furthe] to provide means for mountingthe knifel blade, and whereby to move the knife-blade in combined pathswhich include arcuate and lengthwise movements of the knife-blade.;further. to provide novel means for moving the knife-blade across thecheese in such manner that ready severance of the section or slice ofcheese may be had.

The invention will be further readily understood from the followingdescription and claims, and from the drawings, in which latter:

Fig, 1 is a plan view of my improved device, with the cutting means vinretracted position.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the gage end of the trough, the pivotal Jframesbeing omitted vfor better illustration of the gages.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of my improved device.

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section of the same, taken on the line 5 5 ofFig. 1,.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the same, taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4,partly broken away. f

Fig. 7 is a detail of the knife securin means, shown in section on theline 7-7 o Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a bottomview of my improved' device, partly broken away, andshowing the knife end of the machine.

Fig. 9 is' a vertical sectional detail of the same, taken on the lineA9-9 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 10 is a horizontal cross-section, taken on the line 10-10 of'Fig.4, showing the 75 means for mounting the gages.

Fig. 11 is an end view of my improved device, showing the knife-lever indownposition; and,

Fig. 12 is an end view of my improved 80 device, showing a modificationof the knifelever.

A suitable frame 21 is provided with feet 22, 23, and with angle `faces24, 25. Plates 26, 27 and 28, 29, are secured to these angle 85 faces,as by screws 3.0, and form the walls of al trough 31 in which thematerial-is arranged to be placed. The plates preferably havedown-turned edges 32 for providing a finished appearance andstrengthening the plates( A knife-slot 33 is provided between theproximate ends of the plates.

The material, exemplified as a brick of cheese 3 6, is arranged to bereceived in the trough. The walls of the trough are located atsubstantial ri ht an les withl respect to each other, with t e ang ebetween said walls presented downwardly, that is, the vertex of theangle is in lowermost position.

A knife-blade 41 is mounted in a knife- 100 frame 42, the latterprovided with a handle l 43 for manipulationV of the same. The' side ofthe knife-blade, for coacting with the cutting edge bf the wall of theknife-slot. The slantingface of the cutting edge of the knife-bladeextends solely away from the body of the material being'cut and movesthe cut portion away from said body, for ready passage of the knifethrough the material, and for preventing crushing ot' the material bythe knife-blade.

The knife-blade is preferably adjustable laterally, being shownadjustable on the knife-frame, as by mounting the same jat itsrespective ends on screws 51, which are -threaded in sleeves 52, thesleeves being in turn threaded in threaded sockets 53 'in the respectivelaterally extending arms of the knife-frame. The sleeves are adjustablein the laterally extending arms for laterally positioning theknife-blade, and the screws 51, received through said knife-blade, clampthe knife-blade to the sleeves, whereby the knife-blade is irmly securedin adjusted posit-ions. to Athe knife-frame. yThel sleeve may beprovided with a head 54 for ready turning of the same.

l'lhe material trough has va material supporting portion for the body otthe material at one side of the knife-slot, and a material gagingportion at the other side of the knifeslot. The inner faces of the wallsof the gaging portion of the material trough are preferably providedwith suitable indications.

Gages are preferably provided on each of the walls of the trough, sothat the cheese may-be properly squared up in the trough as,

.when cheese is soft, it is likely to shift in lengthwise directions atdifferent portions of its cross-section. I also refen'to provide thewalls of the trough with a plurality of gages for the respective sizesof the cheese.

Thus I have provided the inner face of the wall 28 with a gage 61, andthe inner face of the wall 29 of the trough with gages 62, 63, 64. Thegages 61, 63, are ap licable for the substantially square bricks ci)cheese of eleven inch length, and the gages 62, 64, for the socalledflat cheese of ten inch length. These gages are respectively dividedinto primary divisions of 'one-f0urth, vonehalt, three-fourths and onepound, representing weights. The inner faces of said walls may also havegages-66, 6 7, for therespective lengths of cheeses, on a; price basis,each division `representing a unit of value,

for instance `fivejcents, or they may repren three-fourths and onepound, shown as stops- 71, 72, 73, 74, and Vfor the sandwich thickness,exemplified as the stop 75. The stops 71, l'2, 73,74, are arrangedprimarily `for the substantially square cheeses which are eleven incheslong,` which represent the majority of cheeses. In selling cheeses teninches long the same stops maybe used with slight space between the end0f the cheese and said stops as determined by the gauges c2, 64.` I' iThese stops are located -on arms. The stops 71, 72, 73, 74, arerepresented on arms 77, in the form of plates, and the stop on an arm78. `The arms are pivoted at their proximate ends about a shaft 79,fixed in bearings 80. 81, on the frame having 'grooves 82' between themin which the arms are located.' The shaft is fixed to the frame by a pin83', and thearm 78 has a hub 84 in which there is a screw ,85 receivedin a slot 86 in the shaft for positioning said arm endwise butpermitting it to swing. The stops 71, 72, 73. 74, are arranged toproject through slots 87, and the stop 75 is arranged to project through.a slot 88, these slots being formed in the front wall of the trou h.The stops are normallyretracted from t e inside of the trough, and arearranged to be projected into the trough in obstructing relation to thematerial, when-it is desired to measure a piece of material to be cut.

The arms 77 are provided with handles 89 at the outside of the trough,by means of which the arms may be manipulated. The handles may beprovided with gauge designations 90, corresponding with the measurementswhich they respectively serve.

The arm 78 is articulated at 91 with a link 92. which has a handle 93 atitsfrontend. This link is lengthwise movable ina slot 94 in a lug 95 atthe rear portion of the frame. The link is provided with a. notch 96arranged to form a seat on said 1ug,so as to 4 position the stop-arm 78'in retracted position.v The arm is normally urged into obstructingrelation by means of a spring 97,

the respective ends of which are secured to said link and to said lug.When the notch is released from the lug by manipulation of the handle atthe forward end of the link, the spring urges the stop-arm for sandwichthickness of cheese into the obstructing relation.

The knife-frame is preferablymounted in such manner as to be normally inretracted position, represented as an upwardly and forwardly extendingdirection, and the knife-lever is pivoted at its :lower end to the framein such'manner that coaction between the knife-blade and the cheese mabe had by a downward movement of the knife-blade, whereby theknife-blade is moved in an'arc and also in lengthwise direction, yforproduc'- ing a shear cut upon the cheese, and a shear cutting actionbetween the knife-blade and the knife-edge of the knife-slot.

Thus the lower end of the knife-fi'ame may be provided with a pivot-lug101,

through which a pivot-pin 102 is received. A pivot-block 103 ispreferably located between the lower end of the knife-frame and theframe of the machine. This pivot-block `has pivot-lugs 104, throughwhich the pivotpin 102 is also received,' for pivoting the knife-frameon the pivot-block. (See Fig. 8.) Thepivot-block is pivoted to the mainframe, being shown. provided with pivotlugs 105 through which apivot-pin 106 isreceived, this latter pivot-pin also being re ceivedthrough pivot-lugs 107 extending from the mainframe, in which latterlugs the pivot-pin is journaled.`

The pivot-blockis preferably secured to the vrespective pivot-pins, asby means of fastening pins 108, 109, for holding the pivot-pins inposition.

Meansare provided `for limiting the relative pivotal movements betweenithe knifeframe, the pivot-block' and the niain frame. Thus thepivot-.block is provided with spaced-apart lugs 111, 112, between whicha A pin 113 oil a lug 114 of the. knife-frame is arranged to havelimited lateral'movement. Theother end of the pivot-block is providedwith spaced-apart' lugs 115, 116, and the frame with al pin 117, betweensaid lastnamed lugs, for limiting the swinging movei ments of thelpivot-block with relation t the main frame.

The knife-frame and the pivot-block form a knife-lever which is pivotedbelow the plane of the rear slanting wall of the material trough, and insubstantially the horizontal plane in which the vertex of the anglebetween the walls of the material trough is located. both the pivotsbeing shown in substantially such location, with the pivot on the framelocated below said vertex.

When manipulating the knife, the attendant or salesman grasps the handle43 and swings the knife-lever forwardly, whereby the knife moves in anarc and also in lengthwise direction, owing to the manner in which itispivoted relative to the material, for imparting a shear-cut to thematerial.

The pivot connections also'permit lengthwise reciprocating movement ofthe knife vupon contact with the cheese, or the cover- 'Ing of thecheese, for aiding in penetrating 'the same. This reciprocatinglengthwise movement off.. the knife may. continue throu hout the cuttingof the material, where y readyv ,cutting of the material is producedwith minimum danger of injuring the slices being cut. When theknifeblade has been moved in its arcuate and lengthwise movement forcompletely sever-- ing the material being cut, the normal upper -end ofthe knife-frame will be in down position, with the knife completelypassed through the material compartment 1n 'the' end of the spring isreceived alongside of' the lug 116. The lugs 115, 116, coact with thepin 117, whichextends from the frame,

for limiting swinging movements of the n pivot-block.

If desired, the `intermediate articulation between the knife-frame andthe pivot-block may be dispensed with, for instance, as exempliiied inFig. 12,in which case the knife is preferably provided at its lower endwith a forward projection 125, provided at its lower forward end withpivot connections and articulation with the main frame, similar to thepivot connections and articulation between t-he pivot-block and f saidmain frame, and similar spring means may be employed for normallymaintaining the knifelever in raised osition., s

Having thus ully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent. is;

1. In a cutting machine of the character described, thev combination ofa frame, a material supporting trough comprising a sloping front walland a sloping rear, wall, said walls extending at substantially rightangles to. eaclother, means for supporting said trough on said framewith lt e angle between said walls presented downwardly, a knife-lever,a rigid knife-blade thereon, and a pivot for said knife-lever insubstantially the horizontal plane of the vertex of said angle betweensaid walls, said knifelever and said. knife-blade spaced laterally i`nupward direction from said pivot when said knife-lever and saidknife-blade are in retracted positions, and constructed and arrangedwhereby combined swinging and transverse movements are imparted to said,

upon movement of said knife-blade across yll said trough.

2. In a cutting machine of the character described, the combination of afra-me, a material supporting trough comprising a slanting front walland a slanting rear wall, said walls extending at substantial right'angles to each other, means for su porting said trough on said. framewith tie angle between said walls presented downwardly, a knife-lever, aknife-blade thereon, a pivot for said knife-level' in substantially thehorizontal plane of the vertex of said angle between said walls, saidknife-blade spaced laterally in upward and rearward direction from saidpivot when said knife-blade is in retracted position, and means forsupporting said knife-blade in retracted position with said. knife-bladeextending upwardly and forwardly and clear of the material containingportion of said trough, and constructed and larranged whereby combinedswinging -and lengthwise movements yare imparted to said knife-bladeupon movement of saidv knife-blade across said trough. Y

3. In a cutting machine of the chara-ter described, the combination of aframe, a trough therein arranged to Contain the material to be' cut,said ytrou-gh comprising al slanting bottom wall. a knife-frame. aknifebladethereon, and a pivot-block between said knife-frame and saidfirst-named frame, said pivot-block pivoted to both said frames by a,plurality of pivots located below the plane of said slanting bottom wallof said trough when said lever is in retracted position.

4. In av cutting machine of the character described, the combination ofa frame, a trough comprising coacting slanting walls extending atsubstantial right angles to each other` means for supporting said troughon said frame with the angle between said walls presented downwardly,knife supporting means, a knife-blade thereon, a pivot between saidknife-supporting means and said 4frame for pivoting said knife su ortingmeans to said frame, with said kin e-blade extending inupward andforward direction at substantial right angles to the rear one of saidslanting walls and spaced upwardly and rearwardly from said pivot, when1n normal retracted position, and constructed and arranged whereby saidknife is moved from said normal position with a forward and downwardmovement and the forward tipping of said knife supporting means movessaid knife in a path which is arcuate and in which said knife haslengthwise movement.

5. In a cutting machine of the character described, the combination of aframe, a trough eomprisin a front wall and a rear wall at substantieright angles to each other,

Ameans for fixing said trough to said frame with the angle between saidwalls presented downwardly, a. knife-frame` a link-frame between saidknife-frame and said first-named frame, and articulations between saidframes whereby said link-frame is lpivotcd to said by swinging movementof said knife-frame Y is permitted on said link-frame and pivotalmovement is, permitted said link-frame on said first-named frame,whereby movements in substantially lengthwise directions may be'imparted to said knife.

6, In a cutting machine-of the character described, the combination of aframe,- a trough comprising a front walland a rear wall at substantialright angles to each other, means for fixing said trough to said framewith the angle between' said walls presented downwardly, a knife-frame.a link-frame between said knife-frame and said first-named frame,articulations between said frames whereby said link-frame is pivoted tosaid tiret-named frame and said knife-frame is pivoted to saidlink-frame, -said `pivots being below the plane of said rear wall ofsaid trough, and constructed and arranged whereby swinging movement ofsaid knife-frame is permitted on said link-frame, and pivotal movementis permitted said link-frame on said first-named frame, wherebymovements in substantially axial directions may be imparted to saidknife, and stops limiting said swinging movements of said knife-frame onsaid link-frame and of said link-frame on said first-named frame.

7. In a cutting machine of the character described, the combination of aframe, a trough for material to be cut comprising a slanting front walland a slanting rear wall, said walls extending at substantial rightangles to each other, means securing said trough to said fra-me with theangle of said trough presented downwardly, a link-frame havingarticulation with said first-named frame, a knife-frame havingarticulation with said link-frame, said knife-frame nor- 'mallypositioned at substantially right anglesto sald rear wall when inretracted poconstructed and arranged whereby said.

knife-frame may have axial movements imparted thereto for pivotalmovements of said link-frame.

8. In a cutting machine of the character described, the combination of aframe, a

trough comprising a front slanting wall and a rear slanting wallarrangedvat substan acting with said trough and comprising a'-knife-blade movable in said knife-slot crosswise of said'cutting edge,said trough forming a material support at ,one side of said knife-slotand a measuring support at the other side of said knife-slot, and gaugemarks which are complemental to each other on the inner faces of saidrespective walls in said measuring portion of said,` trough for gaugingthe material being cut.v

9. In a cutting machine of the character described, the combination of atrough comprising a slanting front wall and a slanting rear wallarranged at substantially right angles to each other, a frame, means forsecuring said trough to said frame with the angle of said troughpresented downwardly, said trough provided with a knife-slot, saidtrough at one side of said knife-slot arranged for receiving thematerial to be cut, and stops at the other side of said knife-slot forthe end of the material received across said slot for determining unitvalues of the material to becut, a knife-frame, a knife in saidknife-frame cooperating with the wall of said knife-slot, and pivots forsaid stops in front of said front Wall, said front wall provided withslots, and said stops arranged to project through said slots into theplane of the material in said trough.

10. In a cutting machine of the character described, the combination ofa trough comprising a slanting front, wall and a slanting rear wallarranged at substantial right an-V gles to each other, a frame, meansfor Securing said trough to said frame with the angle of said troughpresented downwardly, said said trough.

trough provided with a knife-slot, said trough at one side of saidknifeslot arranged for receiving the material to be cut, a

stop at the other side of said knife-slot for y the end. of the materialreceived across said knife-slot, a knife-frame, a knife in saidknife-frame cooperating with the Wall of said knife-slot, said wall ofsaidtrough provided with a strip-slot, said stop arranged to projectpast said wall of said stop-slot into the space in the inside of saidtrough, a link having connection with said stop, means normally urgingsaid stop into the interior of said trough, said link provided with ahandle, and positioning means for said link whereby to position saidstop outside said interior of said trough.

11. In a cutting machine of the .character described, the combination ofa trough comprisinga slanting front wall and a slanting rear wallarranged at substantial right an-` gles to each other, a frame, meansfor securing said trough to said 'frame with the angle of said troughpresented downwardly, said trough provided with a knife-slot, saldtrough at one side of said knife-slot ar ranged for receiving thematerial to be cut,

a knife-frame, a knife insaid knife-'frame cooperating with the wall ofsaid knife-slot for cutting oil' pieces` of the material, the saidftrough at the other side of said knife-slot provided with stop-slots,and sto -levers projected in opposite directions anc having pivotingmeans at their proximate ends, said stop-levers provided with stops forthe material fed past said knifeslot, and said stop-levers provided withmanipulating means whereby to move the stops on said respectivestop-levers through said stop-slots into the path of the material in Intestlmony w signed my name.

ARTHR w. 'MUELLER hereof, yI have hereunto-

